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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: court · bound · can · lash · craft · band · suit · present

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. present — there
  3. suit — clothes
  4. court — of law
  5. lash — a whip stroke
  6. bound — certain
  7. suit — to fit
  8. craft — a skill
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. lash — an eyelash
  11. bound — tied together
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. bound — obliged
  14. can — to be able to
  15. band — a ring
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. court — of a king
  18. can — a tin
  19. suit — in cards
  20. band — a music group
  21. present — a gift
  22. court — for sport
  23. present — the time now
  24. can — a tin

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com